It's what?!? First time it was whiny, annoying, stupid, and borderline insulting. Second time it was just plain pathetic. Third time, it's so far over the top that it may actually become mildly amusing for the very first time. (Though I'm not holding my breath.)

Will anyone who actually thought those stupid ads were "cool" please kill yourself and any offspring you may have? Do it for the good of the species.:)

The Linux.com contest is cute, but not much is accomplished for Microsoft or Linux as long as they are aping Apple's ad campaign. Such ads would only give the impression that Microsoft and Linux are late to the "cool party".

It'd be nice if Canonical (or any other serious player, or especially a consortium) released ads which played on Linux' strengths and dispelled the myths of modern Linux. They could show a stylish but smart person being the Linux user and his curious but skeptical friend asking the questions:

"Dosen't an expert need to set up Linux?" "No, it's quick and easy!" (show a YAST or GRUB GUI installation)

"Can I change the way it looks?" "Sure, much more than Vista or OSX!" (quickly show a wide variety of theme shots)

"Can I run my Windows programs on Linux?" "Yes you can." (show WINE in action)

But more importantly, Linux must go on the offensive. They must stress that they are capable of doing fancy stuff(show the oblig compiz-fusion screenshot), and they should mention the freedom that users will have to do whatever they want with their computer while reminding the users how annoying iTunes is for trying to install other crap under your nose. Maybe have a cheap shot at the "Vista capable" fiasco and the fact that Vista and 7 are the same thing are both prime targets for malware. Stress that users do have a choice!

I don't know if it's been done (links are dead to me), but why not make Tux the face of Linux in an ad?Get a bunch of Tuxes made in various sizes (or digitally modelled) and show people doing things in their daily routine, with the penguins replacing phones, laptops, servers, embedded devices, etc.And at the end of the ad, the simple text:Linux, you're already using it.

Awhile back when they were making Shrek, there was a rather lengthy printed article/advertisement on why they chose Linux for most of their production. It had a lot of shameless plugs for HP, but also quite a few mentions of the virtues of a free and freely configurable OS.

I'd always thought it'd be a cute commercial to see Shrek walking along having a conversation with the Donkey about Linux. The donkey would ask all of the typical FUD questions, and Shrek would explain them all and throw in a few jokes here and there.

It's a face everyone knows and isn't intimidated by, and a product (the movies) that people enjoyed.

Actually, that's one of those things people don't get. Slack has been around the longest, and is still the most table and unmolested distro there is. They've been doing it right for years, while others have come and gone.

Slackware was the Daddy. Like the God Amen, Slackware created himself.

Yes, that's one of my favorite mythological editing blunders: Atum [wikipedia.org] (later lumped in with Amun [wikipedia.org] and Re [wikipedia.org]) was a creator god, first-born of the gods, who birthed himself from the waters of chaos (later personified as the god Nun [wikipedia.org]) by His own will. The god Thoth [wikipedia.org], scribe of the gods, was on hand to record this birth of the first god.

I love Ancient Egyptian mythology, if for no other reason than the wonderful editing it went through when various cities unified (and thus merged their religions). Christianity is messed up too, but people ignore the inconsistencies (have you sacrificed any animals lately? Heathen?)

(self reply)...unless they're concerned about the Ken Thompson back door I suppose... (see the Jargon File on "back door" if you don't get it; I'm too lazy to make a link)... but if you're paranoid enough to still be concerned about that of all things, you're probably the NSA or working for them, given the annoyance of the coding on the bare metal you'd need to do to have absolute certainty.

Mac: Hi, I'm a MacLinux: Well, you're not really a Mac, right?Mac: Of course I am.Linux: "Macs" [using air-quotes, here] now use PC processors and an operating system that's based on Unix and a user-interface that's derived from NeXT. They have about as much connection to the Mac that Apple introduced in 1984 as MTV has to music on television.PC: HehLinux: And what are you laughing at?PC: Well, I'm a PC, so that just seemed sort of funny.Linux: You're not a PC.PC: OK, that's just not funny. I'm *the* PCLinux: A PC is a hardware platform. In fact, it's the same hardware platform that your friend, here, runs on. You're just Windows.PC: Alright smart guy; what are you then?Linux: I'm LinuxPC/Mac: [unison] What's a Linux?Linux: I'm a clone of the Unix operating system that Mac is based on, but I run on just about anything more powerful than a calculator, including some of the most powerful supercomputers on Earth.Mac: Sounds like you're spread sort of thin.Linux: I wouldn't talk. You have versions that run on music players and cell-phones these days.[Mac shuffles feet]PC: Aren't you written by a bunch of college kids?Linux: I suppose the employees of IBM, the NSA, Oracle and Google were in college once, yeah. Weren't you the product of a college drop out?PC: No, he just stole the... er... nevermind!